Syrian state television Saturday aired pictures of President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Syrian politicians and welcomes children at the monument to the martyrs in Damascus. The appearance of Assad is related to his public participation in commemorative activities to mark the 39th anniversary of the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli war, which is also called the "October War".

Meanwhile, Syrian rebels seized Saturday a village bordering Turkey after fighting in which thirty loyalist soldiers and combatants were killed, said the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR ). According to Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the London-based NGO, the rebels took control of Khirbet al-Joz near Jisr al-Shoghour, 2 km from the border with Turkey. "They raised the flag of revolution and taken positions previously occupied by regular forces. During the fighting, at least three insurgents, including a commander, were killed and eight others were injured while 25 soldiers loyal to the regime died," he said. According to him, the fighting continues around the town which is completely deserted.